In quick succession over the last few weeks, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy issued two documents that, taken together, seem designed to spur the second wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects in the United States. With controversy roiling U.S. trade policy in areas from steel and aluminum to agricultural products, DOE's actions send a very different message. They seem plainly designed to give potential buyers of U.S. LNG confidence that they can safely sign long-term contracts and achieve surety of supply.